Acanthopidae

Rivera, Julio, 2010, A historical review of praying mantid taxonomy and systematics in the Neotropical Region: State of knowledge and recent advances (Insecta: Mantodea), Zootaxa 2638, pp. 44-64 : 50-51

Acanthopidae

This family has received considerable attention in recent years. Three subfamilies are included: Acanthopinae , Acontistinae , and Stenophyllinae .

Acanthopinae is a distinctive group of seven genera that includes some of the most cryptic and bizarrelooking mantids of the Neotropics. Travassos Filho (1945) published a detailed and useful synopsis of this subfamily, focusing on the taxonomic history and nomenclatural aspects of its constituent members known to that date.

Acanthops Serville (18 spp.) was the subject of detailed taxonomic treatment by Lombardo & Ippolito, (2004); additionally, Roy (2002c) discussed the systematic position of A. tuberculata Saussure, 1870 ; two species were described subsequently by Ariza & Salazar (2005) and Ippolito (2007). Some general remarks on Acanthops , with special emphasis on the Colombian species, can be found in Salazar (2004a). Additionally, Salazar & Stiewe (2009) presented a photograph of the holotype of A. godmani Saussure & Zehntner, 1894 . Decimiana Uvarov was reviewed by Lombardo (2000a) (see also Lombardo & Ippolito, 2004). Pseudacanthops Saussure includes only four described species, two of which ( P. spinulosa Saussure, 1870 and P. lobipes La Greca & Lombardo, 1997 ) have been figured in detail by La Greca & Lombardo (1997). Metilia Stål includes three species and has not yet been reviewed. Recently, Roy (2004a) described in detail two new genera: Lagrecacanthops and Miracanthops ; Lagrecacanthops includes two species (known by males only), whereas Miracanthops includes at least four species (see Rivera 2005).

Acontistinae includes small, usually colourful species representing five genera; a sixth, poorly known genus, Astollia Kirby , is often included in this subfamily; see Roy (2006) for further comments on this genus. Acontista Saussure , one of the most diversified mantid genera in the neotropics, includes about 25 species in need of revision. The literature allows the accurate identification of only a handful of species. Acontista concinna (Perty, 1833) and A. brevipennis (Saussure, 1872) were studied in detail by Heitzmann-Fontenelle (1965, 1968a), and three species from Ecuador, A. ecuadorica ( Hebard, 1924) , A. festae Giglio-Tos, 1915 and A. concinna were illustrated (including male genitalia) by Lombardo & Agabiti (2001). In addition, Roy (2006) included photos of A. concinna , A. bimaculata Saussure, 1870 , A. gracilis Chopard, 1912 and A. maroniensis Chopard, 1912 . Battiston & Picciau (2008a) presented images of living specimens of A. ecuadorica and A. festae . The information contained in the taxonomic literature regarding this genus must be interpreted with caution since the similarities among the different species and their accentuated sexual dimorphism may have led to a number of synonymies that have not yet been determined. Most original descriptions are old and characters once regarded as specific traits, such as colour patterns, are highly variable. Further discussion on this genus can be found in Roy (2006). The genus Tithrone Stål includes seven species (five of which occur in the Neotropics) and was partially reviewed by Lombardo (1996); Salazar (2006b) presented photographs of both the holotype and allotype of T. latipennis Lombardo, 1996 . Paratithrone Lombardo includes one species (see also Lombardo 1996). The genus Raptrix Terra contains four species recently reviewed by Lombardo & Marletta (2004). Finally, the genus Callibia Stål includes a single, widespread and distinctive species, C. diana ( Stoll, 1813) . A photograph of a living specimen of this species was included in Battiston & Picciau (2008a). The existence of a second Callibia sp. in Venezuela was suggested by Cerdá (1993a) but it has not been described. Further discussion on Acontistinae can be found in Roy (2006).

Stenophyllinae includes only the rare genus Stenophylla Westwood. Detailed descriptions of its three species can be found in Lombardo (2000c) in combination with Roy (2005b). General remarks on Stenophylla can be found in Salazar (2004a, 2007).